Message conveyer



R. MASON MESSAGE CONVEYER Filed NOV. 3. 1931 Feb. '13, 1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROGER MASON ATTORNE Patented F eb. 13, 1934 MESSAGE CONVEYER Roger Mason, Westfield, N. J., assignor to International Communications Laboratories, 1110., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New York Application November 3, 1931. Serial No. 572,798

2 Claims- (Cl. 198-185) This invention relates to conveyer systems and more particularly to the belt type of conveyer system adapted to carry papers and flat packages.

Telegraph conveyer systems have been built largely of the ordinary fiat belt type. This type of conveyer belt has many useful purposes, but

it also has its limitations.

In designing conveyer systems varying conditions must be met. The conveyer must be adapted for continuous operation. This makes possible the insertion of a message at any time, without the necessity of waiting for a special carrier. Furthermcre, the message must be moved at a fair rate of speed and held securely in place so that it will not be blown off or dropped from the conveyer at intermediate points. Finally, the conveyer must discharge the messages at the desired point without danger of carrying the messages away from that point.

the past, in operating conveyer systems for carrying papers and fiat packages, is that the papers were folded, creased and out upon being passed through the conveyer systems. Furthermore, messages have been found to slip out from between the conveying means and, thus, have been dropped at some intermediate point short of their final destination.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be clearly set forth in the following description, read in conjunction with the drawings on which one or more embodiments of my invention are illustrated. This disclosure, however, is illustrative only and changes may be made in the arrangement of the various parts and their mode of association without going beyond the principles of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

A primary object of this invention is to provide means for safely and securely conveying a mes sage from one point to another without unneces sarily creasing or cutting the message. Another object of this invention is to provide means for conveying messages through small openings, around sharp corners, or in inclined directions without mutilating the messages.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear to those versed in the art upon reference to the following description, when considered together with the accompanying drawlngs.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of one arrangement of the type of conveyer belt disclosed in this invention. It is cut away at certain points One of the principal difliculties experienced in along its length to more clearly show the belt construction, as well as the means for supporting the belt;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same belt shown in Fig. 2, but is here shown opened for receiving messages or for delivering them; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, showing in more detail the construction of the second arrangement of the conveyer belt, as well as the means for supporting and drivin this particular type of conveyer belt.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, conveyer belt 1 may be a long sheet of soft flexible material, such as cloth, cord network and the like. This sheet may be fastened along two of its edges to supporting members 2 and 3 which may be flexible cords or wires fitted to move between guide rails 4, 5 and 6, 7, respectively. The conveyer sheet is thus seen to form a structure that is U- shaped, or perhaps V-shaped, in cross-section, although the invention is not limited to any such specific shape. Guide members 8, from which are suspended cords 2, 3, are movably mounted on guide rails 4, 5. In the figure, guide members 8, supporting cord 2, are shown as positioned alter natively with respect to guide members 8 supporting cord 3. Other means of supporting the conveyer sheet will present themselves ately to those familiar with the art.

Guide rail covers 9 may be used at a point where messages are to be inserted into the conveyer system. At these receiving stations the pairs of rails 4, 5 and 6, '7 are separated by a 0"- space, as shown at 10, through which the message may be passed. If the conveyer sheet is to be closed, or if it is to be passed through a narrow opening, or is to make a turn as at the corner of a room, then a switching means, consisting of a substantially triangular member 11, may be provided for systematically and alternately aligning the guiding members 8 of cords 2, 3. The two sets of guide members supporting cords 2 and 3 are alternately aligned by 00 both sets of guide members being positioned to ride on guide rails 4 and 7, instead of one set riding on guide rails 4 and 5, while the other set rides on guide rails 6 and 7, respectively.

This feature of the invention also serves as a 5 lock or seal for the conveyer sheet, without creasing and cutting the papers being conveyed therein. A similarly arranged triangular member 12 may be provided for opening the sheet member and spreading the respective cords 2, 3 apart, 119

immedl- 5" whereby the messages within the conveyer may be deposited at a receiving station or gathered from the flatly opened conveyer sheet, as shown at 13.

The sheet is not shown turning a corner or ascending an incline; this may be done with the sheet in the closed or open position, more preferably, perhaps, in the closed position, as shown after passing triangular member 11.

Referring more particularly to the second or alternative arrangement of the invention, 20 represents a main belt mounted on rollers 21, any one of which may be used to drive the belt. Belt 20 may have flaps 22, 23 integrally formed therewith, or perhaps, and more probably, flaps 22 and 23 may be narrower auxiliary belts sewed at their outer edges, as at 24, to one edge of main belt 20, and separated at their inner edges by a space, such as 27. Messages are securely carried in space 25 between auxiliary belts 22, 23 and main belt 20. This feature is more clearly shown in Fig. 4. If sewed together, a spacing member may be inserted between the edges of the auxiliary belts and the main belt, to prevent the edges of the message from sticking between these sewed edges, as shown at 28.

The messages may be inserted and withdrawn from this particular type of conveyer by spreading the respective auxiliary belts open, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. Here, auxiliary rollers 26 are shown for squeezing the edges of the flat belt assembly 20, 22, 23 together. The rollers 26 on one side only are shown, in order to avoid complexity in the drawings. As the belt assembly moves farther to the right, the main belt assumes a more and more rounded or arched curvature, and simultaneously therewith auxiliary belts 22 and 23, each fastened at one edge to the outer edges of the main belt 20, are elevated, thereby increasing the extent of opening 27, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 5.

After the desired messages are inserted or, perhaps, withdrawn from space 25, the main belt is allowed to flatten out again and simultaneously the two auxiliary belts are allowed to assume their normal positions on top of the main belt, thus securely holding any messages which may have been placed in the belt assembly while it was in the deformed position.

With this particular type of belt, rollers on the upper surface would, of course, permit the turning of the belt assembly upwards, sidewise, or, if necessary, in any other desired direction. The belt assembly may even be inverted so that auxiliary belts 22, 23 are on the lower surface of the assembly, thereby facilitating the discharge or delivery of messages, and rendering unnecessary the removal of the messages by hand.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyer system for receiving and delivering a flat article such as a telegraph message, a continuously moving main belt member having auxiliary belt members secured to its edges and normally superposed on said main belt member, and guiding means associated with said main belt member contacting said auxiliary belt members to contract and bow said main belt member whereby the auxiliary belt members are spread apart to permit removal or insertion of articles.

2. In a conveyer system for receiving and delivering flat articles such as telegraph messages, a continuously moving flexible main belt member having auxiliary belt members secured to its edges and normally superposed on said main belt member, guiding means including a plurality of rollers associated with said belt member, contacting said auxiliary belt members to contract and bow said main belt member whereby the auxiliary belt members are spread apart to permit removal or insertion of articles.

ROGER MASON. 

